Variable intermittent motion device



July 4, 1944. MILLER 2,352,797

VARIABLE INTERMITTENT MOTION DEVICE Filed July 12, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5;, ATTORNEYS y 4, 1944. A. F. MILLER 2 7 VARIABLE INTERMITTENT MOTION DEVICE 7 Filed July 12, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 m. ilguun IN VENT OR.

ALBERT I. MLLEE. a BY 32 D Q X; ATTORNEYS Patented July 4, 1944 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE VARIABLE. INTERMITTENT Mormon DEVICE I Aibeft F. Miller, Flushing, N. Y; assignorto LilyjTulip Cup Corporation-New York, N. Y., a corporation'of Delaware I Application June 12, 1941,. Serial No. 402,140

" 5Cl'aims. (01. 74-217) This invention. relates to variable intermittent motion mechanisms and more especially ta that class of mechanism wherein it is desired to convert substantially uniform continuous speed motion into intermittent variable. speed motion. The invention is useful for intermittently varying the speed of a shaft or other moving part throughout a wide range of variations. Forv example, the speed of said part may be varied through a range from the maximum downv to a minimum greater than 0.; from a maximumdown to 0; or from a maximum downto less than. 0; (thus efiecting an intermittent. reversal of movement). As is well known to those skilled in the art,.such av mechanism is useful in or in conjunctionwith various forms of machines necessitating the intermittent movement of a part or parts, or the variable movement of such apart ornparts, etc. Previously known mechanisms for effecting intermittent motion or variable motion. (illustrative of which are the conventional pawl and ratchet and the elliptical gear arrangements) have. not proven entirely successful and where. a. substantial amount of power is required to be transmitted devices heretofore known have been highly unsatisfactory; in some instances; involving a. relatively large cost. and in other instances additionally involving considerable up-keep expense and replacement.

As illustrative'o-f machines in conjunctionwith which intermittent; movement of. parts: is required, attention is called to Reifsnyder Patent No. 1,608,617 for Machine. for assembling containers, in which a. chain conveyor isrequired to have an intermittentmotion so as to bring articles carried thereby into a position of restat certain intervals; Reifsn-yder Patent. No. 1,602,836 in which a table. conveyor is intermittently rotated so'as to come to rest. at predetermined periods; and Clauss'en. &: Claus. Patent No. 1,055,320v in which a. relatively long conveyor chain is: required to come to rest intermittently.

In addition to the disadvantagesv previously noted with respect to, previously known'xdevices of this sort it is well known to those skilled in the art that repeated'stopping and starting of moving parts, and more especially relatively long chain conveyors and the like, subjects such-mechanisms to relatively great strains with. attendant upkeep trouble and expense- An object of this invention is. to provide an efficient and durablev mechanism. capable. of economical manufacture and maintenance: and adapted to convert substantially uniform con.-

tinuous. motion into variable intermittent motion.

Another object of theinvention is to provide a device which is capable of gradually varying the motion of. a conveyor or the like through a wide range of speeds to thereby prevent excessive strains. The invention consists in. the novel features of construction, arrangement. and combination of parts embodied byway of. example, in the apparatus hereinafter described as illustrating the preferred form of the invention, and the invention. will be more particularly pointed outin the appended. claims. 7

Further objects and advantages. of the. invention will more fullyappear from the following description taken. inconnection, with the accompanying drawings which show, by way .otexample, the present, preferred embodiments of the invention- .Referring, to the accompanying drawings in which. the same. reference. characters indicate the same parts in. the various views: M

Fig.1 is aside. elevation o one embodiment of, the invention, with certain parts broken away;

Fig. 2.is a. sectional view taken at, 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig.3 is a. sectional view taken at 33 of Fig. I;

Fig. 4v is a. sectional View taken at 4-4 of Fig. 1;.

- Fig. 5 is. a. sideelevation ofa modified. form. of the invention illustrated in Fig...-1;..

Fig. 6 is a. planview of the. device shown in tions for. different. adjustments of the embodiment illustrated in. Figs; 5- andfi.

. :Referringr more particularly to Fig,v 1, I shows a-portion of a. suitable frame forsupportingthe severalpartsof the devices A drive. member such as the driving. shaftl issuitablyjournalledin the trained. and is. adapted. to be driven. at a substantially uniform. constant speed by. a. suitablesource of power (not shown) The: shaft.- 2: carries. fixed I2 freely journalled on an axis I3 secured to the opposite side of the supporting frame 9, over an idle sprocket I4 freely journalled on a fixed axis I5 carried by the frame I under an idle sprocket I6 freely journalled on a fixed axis II carriedby the frame I and thence back to the drive sprocket 3.

The supporting frame 9 is journalled for reciprocal rotative movement about the axis of the driven shaft Ii equidistant from the axes of the idle sprockets I and I2. The frame 9 is provided with a down wardly extending arm I8 to which is piv'otally attached, as by means of a pin IS, an eccentric rod or arm 20 whose other-ends surround an eccentric 2I fixed to and driven by the drive shaft 2. The outer end of the eccentricrod 29 is pref.- erably adjustably connected to the arm I8, as by means of a plurality of holes 22 adapted to receive the pin I9. This adjustment provides for varying the throw of the frame 9, which in effect serves as a crank arm for the idle sprockets I and I2 and the portions of the chain 4 adjacent thereto.

- From the foregoing it willbe seen that upon rotation of the shaft 2 power is transmitted by means of the chain and-sprocket power train-to the driven shaft II; such power train being in constant driving engagement between said shafts. However, as th drive shaft 2 rotates, thev cc.- centric 2i is rotated and thereby reciprocates the frame 9 and the idle sprockets I and I2 carried thereby. This reciprocation from the broken-line position to the full-line position changes the phase relationship of the chain 4 with. respect to the driven sprocket I0 and shaft II advancing the chain on its driving side of the sprocket I0 and retarding it on the other side of the sprocket intermediate the sprockets II] and '7. Conversely, from the full-line position to the broken-line position the feed side of.the chain 4 intermediate the sprockets I2 and I0 is retarded in its phase relationship with the sprocket I0 and a portion of the chain intermediate the sprockets I0 and 'I is advanced. This results in a speeding .up'of'the rotation of the driven shaft I I when the frame 9 is in a full-line position and a slowing down of shaft II.when said frame is in a broken-line position. As will be more fully described following, adjustment of the pivot point i9 effects a variation in the type of movement imparted. In general the crank stroke may be lengthened to a degree that will cause the driven shaft II an intermittent reversal of motion after it has been slowed down from .a movement in one direction to 0, and after said reversal of movement the forward movement will continue again to the maximum speed; the crank throw may be shortened to an extent where the rotation of shaft II is continuous but is intermittently varied during each cycle of revolution; Whereas an intermediate length of crank throw may be selected which will cause the shaft II to gradually slowdown from its maximum speed, come to a stop, or as near a stop as desired, and gradually accelerate back to its maximum speed again during each cycle of revolution. A cycle with its said axis of rotationquite similar structurally to that previously de- I fscribed and in order to facilitate an understandf of revolution is one revolution of the driving shaft, which may be geared to the driven shaft in the desired ratio.

Modification of sprocket and chain drive In Figs. 5 and 6 a somewhat simplified modification of a sprocket and chain power drive is illustratedwhich eliminates the three idle sprockets 5, I4'and I6 comprised inthe embodiment previously described and contains a slight rearrangement of the parts: otherwise this embodiment is with the prime 'e' suffix added. Referring more f particularly to Figs; 5 and 6, a suitable supportingframe is designated as I' to which is journalled a driver such as the drive shaft 2 to which'is fixed a driving sprocket 3' in driving engagement with a sprocket chain ,4..which.passes over an idle sprocket I, freely journalled on an axisor stub shaft 8 fixed to, the, frame support 9', thence around the driven sprocket III. which is fixed to the driven shaft I I, thence outwardly over an idle sprocket I2 which is freely journalled on an axis or stub shaft I3 likewise carried by the supporting frame 9, and thenceback to the driving sprocket 3'. The supporting frame S'is freely journalled on a stub shaft 23 which is fixed to the main frame I, and extends. outwardly beyond the axis 8. to provide an arm I8 ,having aslot. 22. providing for adjustable.- setting. of a pin I9 which serves to connect one end.of the cam rod 29 tothe frame 9'. The otherend of the cam rod 20. is ,in driven engagement with an, cc: centric M which is fixed to the driving shaft 2 for. rotation therewith.

From the foregoing it will be obviousthat rotation of the driving shaft 2 at a'substantially uniform continuous motion power is positively transmitted through the chain andsprocket drive to .the driven shaftv II to impart the desired variable intermittent motion thereto in accord+ ancewith the principle previously described with referenceto. Fig. 1. The crank throw of .the supporting frame 9 is representedby the distance a in Fig. 5 and by varying theposition of the-pin I9 in the slot 22' this dimension maybe varied to effect the desired intermittent motion of the driven shaft I I. A few illustrative speed curves are shown in Fig. 9: to givea better under,- standing of the character of intermittent motion possible in accordancewith this invention; t

Referring more particularly. to Fig. 9,..the' straight line. drawn at45 represents. a uniform speed curve and is given for purposesof reference, the curves plotted between an abscissa representing the degrees ofrotation and an ordinate representing the travel .per. revolution. The speed curve designatedA is plotted for a %'f crank throw and illustrates that for a throw of this character a .variation .in speed is effected intermittently corresponding-to each revolution of the shaft whichis brought to a relatively slow movement while. kept in continuous rotation. Curve B is plotted with a 9}? crank throw and indicates that withthis character of .settingnot only is the speedof rotation of thegshaftvaried during each revolution-but the shaft. is momene tarily brought to restv between the pointsof the curve designated X and Y. In curveC the crank throw is 1 and illustrates that :with this set.- ting the shaft. duringeach revolution .is brought to rest and-given'a reverse movement between the-ipoints marked Z and W'and thereafter assnmesjitsiforward movement.

Gear drive e rribodimerzt 'Figs. 7 and 8 show an embodiment of the invention in which the same principles of operation previously described are presented but in which a gear train is employed for transmitting power from the driving to the driven shaft, instead of the chain and sprocket, as employed in the previous embodiments. Referring more particularly to Figs. 8 and '7, a suitable supporting frame is designated as 24 and has suitably journalled therein a driving shaft 25 adapted to be continuously rotated at a substantially uniform speed. This shaft carries fixed thereto a driving gear 26 which is in driving engagement with external teeth provided on a ring gear 21 formed on a web or spider support 28 freely journalled for rotation about the axis of a driven shaft 2%. The driven shaft 29 has suitably secured thereto for rotation therewith a sun gear 30 whose teeth are spaced inwardly from and concentric with internal teeth formed on the ring gear 2?. A plurality of planet gears such as the idle gears 3!, 32 are freely journalled on stub shafts 33, 34 which are carried on a supporting frame 35 which is freely journalled on the driving shaft 29. The frame 35 (Fig. 7) is provided with an arm 3t whose outer end is provided with a slot 37 in which is adjustably positioned a pin 38 serving to pivotally connect the arm 3%: to an eccentric rod 39 whose other end operatively engages an eccentric 40 which is secured to the driving shaft 25 for rotation therewith.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the shaft 25 is rotated power is transmitted through the gear 25 to the ring gear 21 and through the intermediate planet gears 3|--32 to the driven gear 30 and thence delivered to the driven shaft 29; and during each revolution of the shaft 25 the eccentric and crank arm mechanism oscillates the planet gears 3i32 to effect an intermittent variation in the rotation of the shaft 29. As in the previously described embodiments, this variation may be determined as to degree and kind in accordance with the adjustable setting of the pin 38 in the slot 31 to provide for different crank throw dimensions.

Having thus described my invention with particularity with reference to the preferred embodiments of the same, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art, after understanding my invention, that other changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and I aim in the appended claims to cover such changes and modifications as are within the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a variable intermittent drive mechanism the combination of a circular drive sprocket, a circular driven sprocket, a chain interconnecting said sprockets in driving relationship, a pair of spaced apart idlers around one of which said chain passes in its travel from the drive sprocket to the driven sprocket and around the other of which said chain passes in its travel from the driven sprocket to the drive sprocket, a support for said idlers pivotally'mounted on an axis equidistant from said idler axis, and means apart from said chain for oscillating said support and idlers in timed relationship with said drive shaft,

said parts being so. constructed and arranged that said chain. is maintained in positive driving engagement with said drive and driven sprockets at alltimes and is varied in its phase relationship with said driven sprocket by the oscillation of said idlers. i

2. In a variable intermittent drive mechanism the combination of a drive shaft and sprocket, a'drivenshaft and sprocket, a chain interconnecting said sprockets in driving relationship, a pair of spaced apart idlers around one of which said chain passes in its travel from the drive sprocket to the driven sprocket and around the other of which said chain passes in its travel from the driven sprocket to the drive sprocket, a crank arm on which said idlers are journalled and which is pivotally mounted intermediate said idlers, an eccentric rod adjustably connected at one end to said crank arm and in operative engagement at its other end with an eccentric, and said eccentric secured to said drive shaft for rotation therewith, said .parts being so constructed and arranged that said chain is maintained in positive driving engagement with said drive and driven sprockets at all times and is varied in its phase relationship with said driv en sprocket by the oscillation of said idlers.

3. In a device of the character described, a substantially constant speed driving member, a member to be driven at variable speed, chain means in positive driving engagement between said driven and driving membersfor transmitting power from the said driving member to the said driven member, control means comprising two rotatable members engaging said chain means on opposite sides of said driven member and whose axes are pivotally mounted for movement in the same direction of rotation about a common center for changing the cyclical timed relationship of said power-transmitting means with respect to said driven member while maintaining a constant relationship with respect to said driving member, and variable speed actuating means driven from said constant speed driving member for imparting variable motion to said control means, whereby the speed of said driven member is varied during each cycle of operation in accordance with the movement of said control means.

4. In a device of the character described, a first shaft to be substantially continuously rotated and a second shaft to be intermittently rotated about an axis having a fixed spaced relationship to said first shaft, a power-transmitting mechanical train comprising a chain drive in constant positive interconnecting engagement with said shafts, control means comprising two rotatable members engaging said chain means on opposite sides of said driven member and whose axes are pivotally mounted for movement in the same direction of rotation about a common center for changing the cyclical timed relationship of said power-transmitting means with respect to said second shaft while maintaining a constant relationship with respect to said first shaft, and variable speed actuating means driven from said first shaft for imparting intermittent variable motion to said control means, whereby the rotation of said second shaft is interrupted during th continuous rotation of said first shaft.

5. In a device of the character described, a substantially constant speed driving member, a shaft to be driven at variable speed, a powertransmitting chaindrive in constantpositive interconnecting engagement with said shafts, control. means comprising two rotatable. members engaging said chain means on opposite sides. of said driven member and whoseaxes are pivotally mounted for movement in the same'direction of rotation about a common center for changing the. cyclical timed relationship of said powertransmitting means with respect to said second second shaft is interrupted during the 'rotation' of said first shaft.

ALBERT F. MILLER. 

